Only the Deepest Love
by Kristiana 'Tiger Lily' Ball
Summary: What if Darcy had run into Elizabeth immediately after she had rejected Mr. Collins? What if Elizabeth was able to prevent Darcy from taking Bingley away? And what if Darcy discover that Elizabeth would marry for only the deepest love? Rating may change as the story develops.
1. Preface

Long ago, a very naïve, and admittedly very drunk, Thomas Bennet found himself being dragged by a friend through a small, dark entranceway. In his drunken folly, the young Mr. Bennet had been talked into paying a visit to the elderly woman who had recently arrived in town boasting the claim of being able to tell the future. He wandered into the dark room, stumbling only once or twice, and found the room empty, save a small table covered in a dark cloth and a candelabra on either side of the archway.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice, though thick from his drinking, possessed the same firm arrogance that came with youth and intelligence. "Mrs. Grey? Are you open for business?"

"Hello, Master Bennet, how may I be of service to you this evening?" A small woman appeared, as if out of thin air, sitting at the opposite end of the small table. Mrs. Grey was perhaps six and sixty, and had been widowed a few years earlier. Beyond this, very little was known about the mysterious woman who had simply appeared in town one day, greeting everyone who passed her on the street as if she had lived there all her life. Despite her age, she was still a lovely woman in the face, with long, grey hair that she wore in a braid down her back. She smiled at Thomas in a sweet, grandmotherly way that made him comfortable enough to approach the table, yet something gleamed in her eye in a way that made him hesitate to sit down. "Oh, please, sit down. I will do you no harm."

"I do not fear you, madam." Thomas replied, and he sat down immediately as him to prove it to her. "Simply intrigued by the stories of your… unique… talents," Mrs. Grey smiled at her the young man in front of her knowingly.

"Surely, an intelligent young man such as yourself does not believe every story he hears on the streets,"

"Certainly not, madam. I have come here…"

"To collect evidence, of course," she interrupted him. "Let me display my gift for you and allow you to form your own opinion, sir." She closed her eyes as if falling asleep and slowing began to foretell…

_"__You will marry a woman whose beauty is her most defining characteristic. Together, you will create a garden of five unique flowers. One whose kind heart will be challenged only by her beauty, another whose wit and dark beauty will melt even the hardest heart, a third whose unselfish act will make her the greatest of heroes, the next whose smile and charm with attract the bravest men, and the final whose beauty will rival even your wife's, but whose innocence and eagerness may lead to the demise of the entire family. Surrounded by these traits you will live your life, but you them you must cling. One decision control your greatest fate, either your eyes will only witness as far as the first Christmas your youngest shares with her husband or you will see more years than your father or grandfather before you. The key can be found only in the deepest love."_

* * *

Years later, Thomas Bennet will have all but forgotten his encounter with the mystical Mrs. Grey. The night Lydia was born, Fanny Bennet kissed her beautiful infant's head before she turned to her husband and apologized for, once again, failing to provide him with the male heir they needed. Thomas bent to kiss his wife's beautiful cheek and reassured her that he adored each of his five flowers. Later that night, as he held the sleeping infant to his chest, he thought back over his words from earlier that day and remembered the warning of the elderly fortune teller. He pulled his youngest daughter close to his cheek as softly whispered in her ear.

"Do not grow up too fast, my flower. Your Papa is not ready to say good bye,"


	2. Chapter 1

Elizabeth ran from the house desperate to escape. She could hear her mother shouting after her, insisting that she apologize to Mr. Collins, but that only made her run faster. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice reminded her how unladylike it was for a young woman to run, none the less be out in the middle of the woods alone, but she didn't care. All she could think was that she had to be as far away from Mr. Collins and her mother as she could possibly get. Finally, her legs could take her no further and Elizabeth slowed, looking around her realizing she had run much deeper into the woods than she had intended. After a moment she figured out she was about half way to Netherfield. _That should be a safe enough distance_, she thought to herself as she sat on a fallen tree to catch her breath.

"Disgusting, insufferable man!" Elizabeth suddenly shouted in frustration. "How could he think I was so desperate for a husband that I would settle for _him _as my life partner? _Him_! The fool of fools!"

"Miss Elizabeth?" A masculine voiced asked, making Elizabeth jump out of her skin. Noticing he had startled her, the man quickly revealed himself. "I beg your pardon, Miss Elizabeth, I didn't mean to startle you,"

"Mr. Darcy?" Elizabeth jumped to her feet, and quickly curtsied, mentally kicking herself for coming so far. _Escape one insufferable man, only to encounter another. _"I… I am sorry, sir. I was simply resting… I thought I was alone. I will be on my way…" She began to walk away before Darcy spoke up once again.

"No, please madam, don't let me disturb your walk or your solitude. I was actually enjoying one last walk through the woods before returning to London." This caught Elizabeth's attention.

"You are leaving Hertfordshire?" The man nodded. "Well, I hope your journey is safe and that your friends won't miss your company too much," Elizabeth said, once again attempting to head back toward her home.

"I thank you for your well wishes, and assure you my friends will not miss my company, for they are to travel with me," With this Elizabeth froze.

"Bingley is leaving?" She asked boldly. Darcy was slightly shocked by her lack of proper title to his friend's name.

"Yes, Mr. Bingley, his sisters, Mr. Hurst, and I are all returning to London-"

"When will he return? Mr. Bingley, I mean," Once again, Darcy is shocked by her boldness.

"I would not be surprised if he chose to never return, and decided to give up the house entirely," At this Elizabeth's eye widened and she began to pace. "Ms. Elizabeth, are you well?"

"But… but what about Jane?" Elizabeth mumbled, meant for only her ears, but Darcy was taken aback.

"Pardon me? How does my friend vacating a country estate effect your sister?" Elizabeth turns to face Darcy in disbelief.

"Well… it doesn't," Elizabeth attempted to cover her verbal slip up.

"Miss Elizabeth," Darcy stated, crossing his arms, "I have the utmost respect for you and your eldest sister, but I have not been blind to the behavior of the rest of your family. It has been made clear that a marriage between Mr. Bingley and your sister is exactly what your mother has been hoping for and I refuse to stand by and watch my dearest friend be drawn in." Having finished his speech, Darcy turned to leave, if Elizabeth had not stop him in his tracks.

"How dare you!" Elizabeth shouted, "You claim to be a gentleman, yet you would accuse a gentleman's daughter of being nothing more than a fortune hunter! If you must know, _sir_, my sister is deeply in love with your Mr. Bingley. You can inquire to anyone in town, and you would receive the same understanding. If money were all my sisters and I were after, I would be celebrating my engagement at this moment rather than listening to you through these accusations at my sister and my family." At this statement it was Darcy's turn to freeze in surprised.

"You… you are engaged?" Darcy stuttered. The thought of Elizabeth marrying anyone disturbed him greatly. _That is not true_, he corrected himself, _you would be beyond pleased to call her your fiancé._

"Not that is of any concern of yours, sir, but no… I am not engaged," Darcy sighed a breath of relief, but suddenly he had to know, who had thought they were good enough for _his_ Elizabeth?

"As you have said, it is none of my concern, but may I ask who was so unlucky has to meet your refusal of affections?" It was Elizabeth's turn to be shocked at his boldness at asking such a question, but no more shocked than to find herself actually answering him.

"My cousin, Mr. Collins. He is to inherit Longbourn and felt marrying one of my father's daughter would mend the wound of leaving us and our mother desolate after my father's death. Unfortunately, the man was not blessed with the good senses to not reveal to the woman he was proposing to that she was not his first choice, nor the wisdom to at least make it appear as if he loved her rather than settling for a marriage of convince," Why was she telling him all of this? The man had just insulted her family, openly admitted that he was purposely removing the object of her sister's love from the country, and yet she felt compelled to share with him, in detail, her embarrassment of the morning. Meanwhile, Darcy was completely floored. _Mr. Collins? Her ridiculous cousin, who spent the entire ball giving foolish compliments and simpering after her despite her obvious ignoring of him? The audacity of the man! To think he is worthy of my lovely Elizabeth!_

"Well, I must admit, I am not disappointed to hear you rejected the man. If I may be so bold, I would say that I believe you deserve a man who can stand on his own and does not have to constantly depend on the approve of his patroness," Darcy and Elizabeth were both shocked at the man's surprisingly complimentary speech, and the lady was the first to find her voice again.

"Yes… Well, thank you, sir… for your compliment," Elizabeth blushed.

"My pleasure, madam." Darcy replied, not making eye contact. Elizabeth began to walk away when Darcy once again called her back.

"Miss Elizabeth, wait for a moment would you?" Elizabeth obeyed, still not meeting the gentleman's eye. "Over the past few minutes of conversation, I have discovered two things. First, that I have clearly misjudged you and your eldest sister. Second, that you clearly do not possess a high opinion of me." Elizabeth's blush deepened. "I would like to rectify both of these things. Would you sit with me awhile?"

"Why would do that, sir? As you have pointed out, my opinion of you is not high, why would I break my solitude to sit with you of all people?"

"Because, Miss Elizabeth, I would like to be your friend," This statement was enough to make Elizabeth immediately look the man in front of her in the eye, but he continued. "I would also like to discuss your sister's attachment to Mr. Bingley and his to her, so that if the two are truly on a path to romance, I can try to revise the household's plans to depart this afternoon." The sheer shock of his words were enough to draw Elizabeth in, and she sat once again on the fallen tree, as Darcy sat next to her.

"What would you like to know, sir?"

"Everything," So she began at the beginning with the first assembly the Netherfield company attended, mentioning everything from Jane's infatuation with Bingley to overhearing Darcy's comment on her lack of beauty. At the reminder of his rude remark, the man apologized and attempted to explain his actions, to which Elizabeth assured him that he willingness to listen had already begun to heal his offences against her. Elizabeth's story continued through to the Netherfield ball the night before. Upon finishing her story, the lady expect the man to rise and pass judgment, however he remained beside her.

"Now what is your opinion of my sister, sir?" Elizabeth asked, a bit ruder than she had intended, but she was becoming uncomfortable. Not from his presence, but rather by the fact that she did not mind his closeness, rather she was beginning to enjoy the idea of having such a man as a friend. She could also not deny that he was an extremely handsome and intelligent man, who would no doubt be very enjoyable friend if circumstances had been different.

"I believe that these development are in need of more time to fully bloom," he stated, turning towards her and smiling slightly. Her breath froze in her throat, he had a truly dazzling smile. "I believe our business in London can be completed without leaving the country for the time being." At this Elizabeth's face broke into the most breathtaking smile Darcy had ever seen.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Darcy," she said happily, instinctually placing her hand on his arm. Darcy's heart skipped a beat at the contact, and his smile wilted when she just as quickly removed her hand as she rose to leave. "I must be going, sir. I must go face the disaster at home, and pray I have not become engaged in my absence." She laughed sweetly, bring the smile back to his face. _He really should smile more, it suits him_, she thought as she turned to leave.

"Miss Elizabeth? May I ask one last question?" Darcy rose as she turned to face him. "Although I agree with your decision, why did you refuse Mr. Collins? I mean, if it would have been such a relief to your family?" Elizabeth smiled, and looked down at the ground for a moment, before meeting his eyes to reply.

"Because… only the deepest love will tempt me into matrimony," And she quickly turned to leave before he could response.

_Only the deepest love? As you wish, my Elizabeth, _Darcy thought as he returned to Netherfield to convince Bingley that their journey was no longer necessary.


	3. Chapter 2

_*Meanwhile at Longbourn*_

"I'm telling you Thomas, you can ignore the situation no longer,"

"And I am telling you, my man, I am well," Mr. Bennet retorted to the frustrated doctor as he returned to his desk after having been physically inspected.

"You are not well. Your heart is very weak, and gets weaker by the day." Mr. Jones continued to no avail. "Thomas, this is serious."

"Very well, old man. What is you diagnosis?" Thomas asked, gazing over a glass of port as he sat calmly in his chair.

"Six months." At this Thomas hesitated and looked the doctor in the eye. "A year at best."

"I see…"

"Thomas, I have been trying to tell you for months. It is time to set your affairs in order." Mr. Jones patted Mr. Bennet on the shoulder before making his leave. The man sighed and rubbed his forehead. _She said I had more time_, he thought to himself, _Lydia is only fifteen_. His thoughts were disturbed, however, as his wife shouting for him and bursting through the door.

"Oh, Mr. Bennet! Quick! You must come make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins!"

"What was that, my dear? Lizzy marry who?" Mr. Bennet asked, not bothering to look up at his frantic wife.

"Mr. Collins! He has proposed to Lizzy, but she refused him. You must go and force her to accept him. To save this house, to save this family!" The woman's hysterics rang through the small library, echoing in Mr. Bennet's ears. He opened his mouth to object, but gave pause. If the doctor was correct, his wife and daughters were in need of security. Jane seemed quite smitten with this Mr. Bingley, but that provided no guarantee. Mr. Collins, however, was a solution. But could he force that upon his favorite little Lizzy?

"Mrs. Bennet, find me Lizzy and bring her here. I have a proposal you both will need to hear."

XXXXX

Elizabeth returned from her encounter with Mr. Darcy in a fluster. She simply did not know what to think. She had known the man to proud and insufferable, and yet, the man she had just sat with in the woods had been neither of those things. He had been patient and open-minded. The conflicting observations made Elizabeth's head spin and left her wanting nothing more than to sit quietly in her room to think, or perhaps confide in Jane. Those hopes were quickly dashed away as she approached the house and her mother shouted her name.

"Lizzy! Good heavens, where have you been?" The woman inquired, eyeing the mess that was the hem of her daughter's dress. "Oh, never mind. Quick, now to your father's study. He wishes to speak to us on the matter of your engagement to Mr. Collins."

Before she could protest, Elizabeth found herself being shuffled into the house and to her father's private room. Once inside her father encouraged them both to sit as he closed the door.

"Now, my Lizzy, I have heard that Mr. Collins has made you an offer of marriage," Mr. Bennet stated, returning to his seat behind his desk.

"Yes, Papa, he asked me to marry him," she replied.

"Yes, and the ungrateful child refused him! Ruining us all!" Mrs. Bennet chimed in, earning an eye roll from her daughter and a silencing looking from her husband.

"And, as your mother reminded us, you refused this offer,"

"Yes, Papa," she replied once again. At this, Mr. Bennet leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.

"My dear Lizzy, I have always known you to have the most wit and to be the most sensible of all my daughters," At this Elizabeth gave a small smile and Mrs. Bennet huffed softly from her seat. "Surely, you can see the sense in a marriage to Mr. Collins. All the advantages it would provide to not only you, but your sisters and mother."

"Y-yes, Papa," Elizabeth answered reluctantly, this did not appear to be going her way. "But, Papa…"

"Yes, my dear, I am also aware of the faults in Mr. Collins character. So I offer you another option. I have heard you say that you wish to marry for love. Well, my dear, you have six months."

"Six months to do what?" Elizabeth asked, nervously.

"Six months to get engaged to the man you love." Mr. Bennet replied, closing his eyes to brace for the storm. Both women rose from their seats in protest.

"Mr. Bennet! What of Mr. Collins?" His wife shouted.

"Papa, you cannot be serious! That is impossible!" His daughter cried out.

"Nothing is impossible, Lizzy. And Mrs. Bennet, I have not forgotten my cousin. Lizzy has six month to become engaged for love or she shall marry Mr. Collins for security. That is my decision. Lizzy, I am giving you a chance to do as you wish, but I cannot risk the entire family's security and lives on an event that may never happen." Mr. Bennet stood and opened the door, clearly ending the conversation. Mrs. Bennet walked quickly out the door, in hopes of finding a way of explaining all this to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth, still in shock, slowly began to follow after her mother but as she went to pass her father, he grabbed her arm. "I am sorry, my flower, but I have to think of everyone." Lizzy pulled her arm from her father's grip and ran to her room, locking herself inside.


	4. Chapter 3

Once in the privacy of her room, Elizabeth locked the door and leaned her back against it fighting off tears. _How could Papa do this? How can I possible marry Mr. Collins?_ She pounded her fists against the door in attempt to keep herself from shouting out at the injustice.

"Elizabeth? Is something wrong?" Elizabeth jumped at hearing a voice in the room. Looking over at the window, she noticed Mary sitting quietly with a book in hand.

"Mary? What are you doing in here?" she asked, attempting to hide the tears that had come to her eyes.

"Lydia and Kitty were being quite ridiculous in our room. Something about who was permitted to wear a particular bonnet. Anyhow, Jane said I was welcome to sit in your room as it was the quietest in the house. I could leave if you wish." Mary started to rise and wander off, something she had become talented in after years of practice.

"No, no please. Do not let me disturb you," Elizabeth replied, going to sit on the bed with a sigh. Mary attempted to go back to reading her book, but upon seeing the normally so calm and happy Elizabeth so obviously troubled, she could not. She slowly stood and relocated herself to sit next to Elizabeth on the bed. She had seen Jane and Elizabeth share sisterly comfort this way, it was worth a try.

"Lizzy? Something is clearly upsetting you. Do you wish for me to get Jane for you to talk to?" Mary asked in an attempt to be a comfort. But when tears began to slide now Elizabeth's cheeks, she was at a lost on how to respond.

"No, I don't wish to trouble Jane." At this Mary moved closer and awkwardly placed a hand on Elizabeth's back.

"You… you could speak with me. Anything you share with me would go no further than this room. Who am I going to tell?" Mary's attempt to make a joke only reminded Elizabeth of how much she and her family had neglected her middle sister. Elizabeth leaned on to Mary's shoulder and gave her a little smile.

"I trust you completely, Mary." And with that Elizabeth shared what father had told her in his study. Mary listened carefully to all that her sister said, and when she was through with her story, Mary began to use her logic.

"But, Lizzy? Is Jane not in love with Mr. Bingley? From everything Mother has said, and the way I have seen Jane behave, I assumed the matter would soon be settled. If Jane weds, there is no need for us to worry for our security." Elizabeth let out a small sigh.

"Perhaps, I should share more with you. But you can tell no one what I am about to share." After Mary agreed, Elizabeth shared her adventure from earlier that day. She retold the conversation shared between herself and Mr. Darcy. "So, you see, Mary. Things are not as secure on that front as we may have hoped." Mary gave a small smile before answering, small enough that Elizabeth did not catch.

"That is perhaps true, but it sounds as if we now have an ally in Mr. Darcy. If anything, that marriage may be more likely to occur. Without the support of both his best friend and his sisters, who clearly do not care for our family, the marriage seemed a near impossible task. However, with Mr. Darcy on our side, love may win out." Elizabeth stared in surprise at her younger sister. Mary may seem as if she cares very little about what was transpiring around her, but she was clearly very observant. "Why not tell Jane of your trouble? That would surely speed the process and save you from having to face this decision."

"Oh Mary. I could not do that to Jane. She is in love, I do not wish to rush her through her joy for my own selfishness." Mary, though failing to see the logic of the idea, could see there was no changing Elizabeth's mind.

"Very well," Mary replied, kissing her sister's forehead as she had seen Jane do so many times before. "Then, Lizzy, I regret to say your choice is to marry. But, Lizzy, you are so wit and beautiful it should not be hard to find suitors. No not fret about Mr. Collins, concentrate on finding happiness. I have you speak of Mr. Wickham in a happy manner, and I would not rule out Mr. Darcy. He seems keen to have your good opinion." At this Elizabeth laughed.

"Mr. Darcy? Just because he wishes to be civil with one another does not mean he loves me, Mary. You may be correct in the idea of Mr. Wickham, but what kind of security would he provide for our family?"

"Lizzy, you do not need reminding that you are Father's favorite. I believe he worries about our security and that is why he is not allowing you to flat out refuse Mr. Collins. However, I believe your happiness is far more important to him, as it is to all of us. If you were to marry for love, I believe Father would be more willing to give his blessing then with Mr. Collins."

"I hope you are correct, Mary." Elizabeth sighed.

"I think I shall leave you to rest. I can find somewhere else to read." With that Mary stood and headed towards the door.

"Mary? Thank you for listening and being so kind." Elizabeth stood and hugged her sister. Mary blushed softly and existed quietly. Once out of the room, Mary began to put her plan into action. She must find Mr. Collins.


	5. Chapter 4

Upon leaving her sister's company, Mary began to head towards the stairs that would lead her to the parlor where she could hear her mother going on. Surely, based on the information Elizabeth had shared, her mother would be in the same room as Mr. Collins. As she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced into the room she shared with her two younger siblings and found Kitty sitting alone. Instantly, Mary was struck with another idea and headed towards the room.

"Kitty?" Mary asked, standing in the doorway of the room attempting to gather the courage to go through with her newest plan.

"Yes? Oh, Mary. What is it you need?" Kitty, unlike her other sisters, never put in an effort to ignore her elder sister. Although Mary appeared to be the most neglected of the Bennet sisters, she at least enjoyed the solitude. When she was younger, Kitty had put a great deal of effort into attracting her elder sisters' attentions. However, since Jane and Lizzy had one another and Mary's tastes had differed so greatly from her own, Kitty had turned to her younger sister as a campion. Nothing made Kitty happier than having any of her elder sisters request her attention or time.

"Well… I was hoping that, if it were not too great of an inconvenience… that perhaps you could help me with something?" Mary asked nervously, which only served to further intrigue the younger sister.

"Of course, Mary. I would help you with anything." With such a reply, Mary entered the room and whispered her request in her sister's ear. Kitty's eyes wide, as did her smile, as she heard the plan. "Oh, yes! This shall be fun!" Mary took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself as Kitty sprang to her feet and ran towards the wardrobe.

_*Meanwhile, at Netherfield*_

Mr. Darcy arrived back at his friend's estate with a new purpose for his time. If Elizabeth required love to wed, he would give her love. All concerns for her station in life and his status in society was forgotten. Her beauty had long captured his eye, her wit had long captured his mind, but after their meeting in the woods her mind and passion had managed to catch his heart. The Bennet family was _so_ decidedly beneath him. Mr. Bennet was, after all, a gentleman. True, Longbourn was not so great an estate as Pemberley, or even Netherfield, but he was sure it turned a decent profit. The true strike against the family was the estate being denied to the female line and the lack of sons. If the Bennet ladies had had a brother their situation would be near equal to that of Bingley's father. With these thoughts, along with her own wonderful charms, Darcy was quite certain he was making a wise decision in pursuing Miss Elizabeth. True she would bring nothing to their marriage but herself, but he was sure that was the only thing he lacked in the world. Mr. Darcy was so distracted by these thoughts he nearly ran into Bingley was entered the house.

"Ah, Darcy! There you are! Are you prepared for our journey?" Charles asked in his usual cheerful tone, yet Darcy could see the glimmer of sadness at the thought of departing.

"Actually, Bingley, I was hoping to talk with you on that matter," Darcy answered. "On further thought, I feel your business might easily be settled through correspondence from here. And beyond that, I feel you may be happier spending your time… improving your intimacy with certain members of the community." At this, Darcy gave his friend a knowing smile much to his friend's surprise.

"Well… certainly! I could think of nothing finer than to continue on here!" Charles said, enthusiastically. "Oh, but Caroline and Louisa have already left. Surely, I must go now for it would be quite rude to desert them."

"I suppose that is true." Darcy frowned as he tried to think of his next enticement to make his friend remain. Mr. Darcy was not a foolish man, he was well aware that in order to win Miss Elizabeth's heart he must first set in motion the necessary steps to happiness for her sister and his friend. "Perhaps, you go to town with your sisters, in sure they are settled and finish your business, and I could watch over Netherfield in your absence. It will help those in town to rest easy in the thought of your return if the house were to remain open."

"Excellent notion! I shall attempt to finish my business as quickly as possible and then rejoin you here. But, Darc, did you not plan to visit Miss Georgiana while in town? Will she not be missing you?"

"I had not thought of that," Darcy frowned again. It would not do to have to choose between Miss Elizabeth and Georgiana.

"I have it! Go write your sister a letter, invite her to come to Netherfield to visit you. Invite that cousin of yours as well, Colonel Fitzwilliam, for she will need a campanion for her journey. You will all be my guests and I shall return as soon as my business allows it." Charles beamed at his own brilliance and as soon as the letter was sealed, was off to London after his sisters.

"That do not go _exactly_ to plan, but he will be returning. I must call it a success," Darcy said to himself as he watched his friend drive off. He would stay here to pursue Miss Elizabeth, Bingley would return to pursue Miss Bennet, and he and his dear sister would soon be reunited. Quite successful.


End file.
